Recently, we had the opportunity to hear about how “Imagine Englewood” is working to provide after-school programs for youths. And the director of the Chicago Police Department’s CAPS program gave us an overview of how residents are coming together to make neighborhoods such as Englewood safer.

During the course of our reporting, we got to know many Englewood’s residents who are dedicated to improving the quality of life in their community, in spite of the proliferation of abandoned homes that have become a magnet for trouble.

They opened their homes to us and shared their stories, putting aside fears of retaliation from gangs. In return, we recently invited them to visit the Chicago Tribune, to attend a Page One news meeting and get to know some of the editors and reporters over lunch.

If we want people to open up to us, we have to be accessible to them. That’s how long-term relationships are formed, and that’s one of the crucial ways we get good stories.